(5) = Best; (4) = Better; (3) = Good; (2) = Fair; (1) = OK
These abstracts serve as reminders to myself; they serve to "jog" my memory on what a book was all about. That's all. This is not a literary critique, not a social commentary, and certainly nothing profound to warrant further discussion.
(5) = means that I really enjoyed this book; (1) = means I finished reading it but wonder if my time could have been better spent elsewhere.
There is a medical team that have developed a new drug (Vasclear) that will eliminate arteriosclerosis with no side effects and that prospect will make billions of dollar for the team, hospital and pharmaceutical firm that sponsored their research.
Brian Holbrook is a brilliant Cardiologist. But his credibility is constantly challenged as he had been a drug user at one time and lost his license to practice medicine for a while. He has been under treatment for several months and the Board of Registration in Medicine determined that he is in good recovery and ready to resume practice provided that he have a tight on-the-job monitoring and a random urine test before a license would be issued. A Catch-22 situation. No job; no license. No license; no job.
His father is a heart patient at White Memorial Hospital where Brian discovers that Vasclear is being tested there. He wants his father included in the double blind experiment. The father is told by Dr. Jessup, Chief Surgeon at the hospital, that the project is too far along and that he was too ill to benefit from Vasclear. She recommended surgery. The father does not want surgery. In the meanwhile, an emergency in the Cardiac section of the hospital occurs and Brian’s friend asks him to come to the operating room and consult. Brian is recognized as an expert. He helps solve a diagnostic problem and is hired by the hospital as a post-doc fellow.
Brian learns that Newbury Pharmaceuticals is Russian Chechen Mafia owned and is used primarily to launder money in the United States. He learns that Project Director, Art Weber, agreed to accept money from Newbury to fund his research and in turn they would profit from all sales of Vasclear. He should never have done that cause the Mafia is pressing for results and a return on their investment.
Brian does not trust the research data but the research design seems to be valid. The project is underway with a 2nd beta Group. The only complaint made by one of the hospital surgeons is that the sample size is too small and that miracle drugs do not exist. But his voice is discounted by the hospital staff. The Vasclear team is popular and its funding has been lucrative for the hospital. Brian found that patients in the first experimental group either died of pulmonary hypertension or in an accident. The explanation is that there has been changes and improvements in the drug for the 2nd Group, and it has been successful. All the promotions and testimonies on the wonder drug are made by people in the 2nd Group. Brian is asked by the staff associate of the FDA (Teri Sennstrom) to report what he learns about the research project to her. Teri is attractive and Brian succumbs to her charms, though ethically he is reluctant to spy on the Vasclear team.
Why was Vasclear so successful with the 2nd Group of Experimental Subjects ? The question plagues Brian. He learns why and the story takes a dramatic turn. He tells Dr.Teri Sennstrom about his discovery and what he intends to do.
The story will keep you turning the pages until the end. Skip the medical terms and surgical procedures in the OR - operating room. Forget about the acronyms. I’m not sure if the FDA really operates the way the author says it does. Russian mafia hitmen kill Brian’s friend and patients and anyone who cooperates with Brian; they make several attempts to kill him. Who are these people and who is giving them their orders? The adventure is what Brian Holbrooke goes through in solving the problem of Vasclear and in straightening out his personal life. (5)
This book is a sequel to the author’s first book titled “Games of the Hangman.” I must read that next. I did not know this was a sequel.
With the defeat of the Hangman, Irish ex-soldier and war photographer Hugo Fitzduane thought he had at last reached a measure of peace, but in the world of International terrorism, there is no peace, only delayed revenge. In this case revenge comes swiftly, as the Hangman’s allies – a Japanese group known as the Cutting Edge, headed by an implacable woman warrior – target Fitzduane and his family, and Fitzduane has no choice but to take the intiative.
Two assassinations were made on Hugo’s life. Both failed. The 2nd attempt at the hospital where Hugo is a patient will keep you on the edge of your seat. He survivies and decides to find the people who gave the orders. Hugo’s relationship to the Namaka brothers and what happens to them is the main theme in the book.
Here are some of the key players: Hodama, a wealthy and corrupt business leader, is executed by a mysterious group of masked men. Why was he killed? Adachi is appointed by Tokyo Police to investigate the murder of Hodama. Chifune, a beautiful martial arts expert and markswoman, is assigned to the case with Adachi. The two happen to be lovers. Kitano, the Namaka brother’s Chief Security Officer whom everyone knows, leads a third unauthorized assassination attempt and fails, but this time the Corporation disowns him and cleverly announces Kitano’s suicide for discovery of criminal embezzlement of company funds. The Namaka Corporation, founded by the two evil brothers, lie at the heart of the novel. We learn that Kei and Fumio Namaka had ordered the killing of Hugo but their motive is not as important as the web Hodama had cast on the future of the Namaka Corporation. The police thinks the Namaka brothers were behind the killing of Hodama but Hugo discovers this is not the case. He discover enemies of the Namaka brothers who are just as desperate to kill him as they were in getting rid of Hodama. The intricate subplots look disjointed but they eventually fall into place as Hugo, Adachi and Chifune discover a network of international criminals and terrorists in the CIA, Korea, Japan and Ireland.
The closing chapter is exciting and dramatic. Although constrained by Tokyo Police about the use of guns to avoid harming civilians Hugo convinces them to break the rules if the police is to restore civil order in Japan. The police and Hugo takes out the Cutting Edge, the Namaka brothers, the Hodama network, the Yakuza and the International criminal elements in one fell swoop. (4)
Titus Cain’s life is changed in just a few minutes when Luquin walks into his home escorted by three assassins and tells him he is free to go on living as he pleases but he must make a series of “bad business investments” totaling 64 million over the next four days. If he misses a single payment, people close to Titus die. If he tries to negotiate the ransom, people die. If he contacts the authorities or warns his friends and family of the danger, people die. Silence is his only option.
Titus is a self made millionaire; founder of a successful software company. He complies with Luquin’s demands. Payment is made with just moments to spare, and Titus thinks he can breathe a sigh of relief. He discovers that Loquin is driven by stakes higher than he had revealed, and that he is willing to be more vicious and merciless than Titus had ever imagined. Titus decides to fight back. His only hope is to find an ally as cold-blooded and determined as his enemy. How far would Titus have to go to protect his fortune, his life, and those nearest to him? There is a twist to this story when one of Loquin’s former victims hunts him down and when one of Loquin’s Chief Assassin decides to betray him. Whaterver the outcome Titus and his wife are changed forever when two of his best friends and his secretary are killed. (3)
This is a story of Barry Neubauer, an evil, rich and corrupt business man and how he managed to control powerful people and organizations in New York. Witnesses against him and people who get in his way always seem to disappear.
The setting is at the Hamptons on Long Island. Neubauer throws his annual July 4th party for 100 special guests – there are celebrities and super rich guests who show up. Peter Mullen, one of the parking attendants is killed that night and his murder is made to look like a suicide by drowning in the ocean. Who Killed him and why?
The local police chief provides the perfect cover up for the killers and refuses to exam the body. He writes the death off as a suicide. Jack Mullen refuses to believe that Peter would kill himself. Jack is a Senior at Columbia Law School in Manhattan and he has a part-time job with a prestigous law firm. He and his friends agitate for a public hearing on Peter’s death and they discover how powerful Barry Neubauer is when his friends lose their jobs and when Jack is fired by his supervisor. The Medical Examiner notes that Peter was dead but not by drowning and discloses all the broken bones Peter suffered before dying. She, too, is threatened with rape and murder if her testimony does not corroborate death by suicide. She is forced to change her story at the hearing.
Sam, a photographer friend of Jack’s, disappears one day, and in looking for him, Jack discovers that Sam had taken pictures at the party and had photos of sexual orgies of all kinds at the Hamptons. Peter was included in many of the photos. The photos showed Peter when he was 15 years old having sex with Barry.
Many of the witnesses at the hearing lied to support Neubauer; many were included in the sexual escapades. Jack’s girl friend, Pauline, discovers that Peter had HIV and learns that Barry knew about this for several years but never informed any of his lovers.
Jack and his grandfather decides to take drastic action. They kidnap Barry and his wife and several of their friends who were included in the photos; they take blood samples from everyone. Tests confirm that Barry Neubauer was HIV positive and he knew about it for several years.
Jack, his grandfather and several friends, conduct a mock trial that was televised nationally and concludes that while they cannot prove that Barry had murdered Peter he was nevertheless in violation of a NY law that says that anyone with HIV who knowingly infects other people without warning them was guilty of a felony. Barry and his network of friends are arrested. The police chief is arrested for the murder of Sam.
Jack and his grandfather admitted guilt to kidnapping, but the judge concludes it was not necessary to incarcerate them; he places them on probation; they are expected to perform so many hours of community service. (3)
This book is a departure from his usual murder mystery/detective genre. “Disillusioned journalist Tom Langdom must get from Washington DC to L.A. in time for Christmas. Forced to take the train across the country because of a slight “misunderstanding” at airport security; he begins a journey of self-discovery and rude awakenings, mysterious goings-on and thrilling adventures, screwball escapades and holiday magic.”
Tom has a date with Lelia and he is eager to get to L.A. She is a beautiful “has been” movie actress who struck it rich in voice overs as a child’s favorite puppet on TV. They have been dating off and on for three years.
Tom meets a popular movie producer on the train. His entire team is on board. They’re going to produce a documentary on “Train Travel Across the United States.” As a journalist Tom plans on writing a story of his personal experiences traveling on a train across the country. The producer asks Tom if he would meet with his script writer and collaborate with them in producing the film. Tom agrees provided that the writer approves of him; she turns out to be Eleanor, a former lover who broke up with Tom many years ago. Eleanor is angry at Tom for reasons we will discover.
In the meanwhile, Lelia surprises Tom by flying to Kansas City, hops on the train and proposes marriage to him. He is frantic as he is in the midst of a midlife meltdown and realizes he is not in love with Lelia; he loves Eleanor and wants to renew their relationship, but Lelia’s presence aggravates the situation between Tom and Eleanor. He wants to renew their relationship. He rejects Lelia’s proposal for marriage and decides to ask Eleanor to marry him. An avalanche occurs and everyone on the train is stranded in the midst of the worse snow storm in 30 years. There are many interesting characters on board and the reader will enjoy meeting all of them.
There is a surprise ending. This is a wonderful story and is worth reading again to savor every event on this journey across the country. (5).
I met Kristin Hannah at the Tacoma Community College Writers Conference. She gave the best workshop of the day. So I was impressed and decided to read one of her books.
Home Again is about Madelaine Hillyard, a Cardiologist who is strong and decisive as a surgeon but indecisive and weak as a single mom with a rebellious teenage daughter (Lina) on a self destruct path if mom does not do something drastic. Their lives revolve around Angelo DeMarco, a world famous entertainer who is in immediate need of a heart transplant. He abuses himself with drugs, alcohol and cigarettes; he abuses everyone around him, he is self centered and terribly afraid of dying. He hides his feelings with sarcasm and jokes. He does not want the public to know he is dying and in need of a heart transplant.
Father Francis Xavier DeMarco, the priest who is Angelo’s brother, has been a friend of Madelaine’s since they were kids. He has acted as a surrogate father to Lina. Francis is a saint. He loves and cares for everyone and is loved in return. He loves Madelaine more than as a friend but his priestly discipline keeps him from physically expressing his love for her. She and lina both love him as a family member. He is the only family they have. The turning point in the story comes when Francis is killed in an auto accident and Madelaine and her team of doctors decide to donate his heart to Angelo without telling him whose heart it is. The surgery is successful and Angelo begins to adopt habits peculiar to Francis. The doctors regard this as a coincidence since Angelo knows nothing about the heart donor.
Nevertheless, the behavioral changes upset Angelo – he has dreams of Francis talking to him. He realizes he needed to thank whoever it was who gave the heart to him and he writes a grateful letter to the donor family. He holds on to the letter since he doesn’t know whom to send it to.
He complains to Madelaine about the changes he was experiencing and shows her the letter. She decides to tell him he has Francis’s heart. She tells him, “this is what Francis would have wanted!” He is shocked at first and storms out of the room. Later he realizes the pain she went through in that decision, he remembers what he wrote and he forgives her. He is grateful for a second chance in life. She also tells him his daughter wanted to meet him! She has kept his fatherhood a secret from Lina all these years. Angelo is surprised, too, as he thought she had an abortion when she was 17 yrs old. No. She didn’t and she did everything she could to erase him from her memory.
Their relatrionship is rekindled as the more sensitive qualities of Francis begins manifesting in Angelo and he begins the transformation of becoming a more caring and loving person. There is a happy ending. (3).
The story is well written. FBI Agent Cate Cuevas goes underground to win the confidence of a Russian mafioso, Sergei Krupatin, who is renown to use unspeakable violence to achieve his goals. His favorite female assassin is Irina Ismaylova but she is desperate to escape his clutches; she needs to carry out one last, deadly mission for him. He has been trying to organize an alliance consisting of three great international crime organizations in the United States. They meet in Houston. Cate has an opporunity to stop this unholy alliance if she can infiltrate the Russian organization. She does. Irina is killed by Krupatin. Cate adopts Irina’s daughter, Felia. (2)
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